October 2026

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) closed a five-mile stretch of I-65 through central Louisville — from Jefferson Street to the Watterson Expressway (I-264) — in both directions at 12:01 a.m. June 1 so crews could replace three aging bridges (over Kentucky/Brook streets, Hill Street/Burnett Avenue and the CSX line, and Bradley Avenue) on the $150 million Central Corridor project. State highway engineer James Ballinger said the full closure would save at least a year of construction compared to working under traffic, with the new bridges expected to last about 75 years. The project is funded by the state legislature and the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Prep work began in early May with the closure of the St. Catherine Street off-ramp and 1st Street on-ramp, and crews pre-assembled 70 steel beams and precast deck panels so they could be "puzzled" into place quickly. The contract carried "steep penalties" for lateness.

The roughly 120,000–125,000 daily drivers on the corridor were directed to a signed detour on I-264 (Georgia Davis Powers Expressway) around the west side of the city, adding an estimated 15–20 minutes. Officials urged test-driving alternate routes, staggering work hours and using Waze (KYTC's official mapping partner). The coverage looked at ripple effects: hospitals in the LOUMED district said they would stay open 24/7 with staggered shifts and pre-positioned ambulances; Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) pointed travelers to its Crittenden Drive west entrance; and businesses along Preston Highway and South Preston Street braced for either a windfall or a slump from cut-through traffic.

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The first days of the closure went more smoothly than many expected. The main trouble spot was northbound I-65 just before the Watterson, where a temporary barrier split eastbound and westbound traffic and caught drivers making last-minute lane changes. KYTC added signs, restriped lanes near the airport, and had a team drive the whole detour to review signs after truckers reported confusion at the Watterson East interchange. Trucks still using non-truck navigation kept getting stuck under Louisville's notorious low railroad trestle known as the "can opener," and KYTC turned to geofencing and in-cab alerts. TARC reported no major bus delays. In Old Louisville and Germantown, residents complained about trucks cutting through residential streets and about round-the-clock demolition noise, though opinions on the noise were split.

Demolition finished about two and a half weeks in, and the project moved into rebuilding while staying on schedule despite storms. The two-mile southbound section from University Boulevard to the Watterson reopened June 29, two days early, along with four ramps. Courier Journal columnist Joseph Gerth argued that the closure's success suggests it may be time to revisit "8664," the old proposal to remove I-64 from Louisville's waterfront.

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I-65 reopened to two lanes in each direction early Wednesday, July 29 — three days ahead of the Aug. 1 target — after crews worked overnight to restripe, change signs and pull barrels. The corridor remains a construction zone with a 40 mph speed limit and nine ramps still closed (including Brook Street to Chestnut, St. Catherine, and the Arthur Street off-ramp). Commuters' reactions were mixed: some from southern Indiana saw faster trips, while others from Elizabethtown and Bullitt County said the drive took about as long as their detours. Businesses near the detour, like a convenience store that saw 25% fewer customers, welcomed the reopening.

The three bridges replaced during the shutdown will be finished by March 2027. Overall, nine bridges are being replaced along the corridor, and the full project is expected to wrap up in late 2027 or early 2028. Gov. Andy Beshear said that I-65 should not fully shut down again while work continues, and through traffic is still encouraged to use the I-264 detour.

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With the interstate open again, work shifted to replacing bridge superstructures over downtown streets. The Muhammad Ali Boulevard/South Brook Street underpass closed in late August and immediately caused hour-long backups near the hospitals, so the planned Broadway underpass closure was postponed a few days. The University of Louisville turned part of Muhammad Ali Boulevard into a two-way street to keep its parking garages reachable. Broadway eventually closed but reopened weeks ahead of its mid-October target. When it did, Jacob Street under I-65 closed permanently to ease traffic from the Broadway off-ramp. Gray Street under I-65 closes Oct. 5 through late November.

In late June, WAVE reported that contracts as drafted called for a second full I-65 shutdown in summer 2027, from just after the Kentucky Derby through late August (northbound would stay closed until mid-October), to replace six more bridges, including one near Hospital Curve. Traffic would be allowed as far north as Broadway that time. A KYTC spokesperson said Jefferson County residents "should not have to endure two closures in two years" and that the governor intends to push the closure further into the future.

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In June, KYTC closed the southbound sidewalk on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge between Louisville and Jeffersonville after an inspection found deteriorating steel beams and concrete. The northbound sidewalk had been closed since December 2024, so the bridge is now completely closed to pedestrians. The bridge remains safe for vehicles. KYTC is developing a rehabilitation project to restore the bridge's full weight capacity and is considering cutting it from four lanes to three, with wider lanes and room for pedestrians and cyclists. That plan was put on pause during the I-65 work.

The lane reduction, which would leave a single inbound lane into Louisville, has drawn growing pushback from Indiana. Jeffersonville's mayor called for Kentucky leaders to come to the table, and Indiana politicians asked federal officials to block the plan. Courier Journal columnist Joseph Gerth argued the bridge's congestion comes from drivers avoiding tolls on the Kennedy and Lincoln bridges and from today's wider vehicles, and suggested lower tolls as a fix.

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KYTC entered the final phase of a project that began in February 2025 to replace worn expansion joints on the Kennedy Bridge (I-65 over the Ohio River). Until Aug. 17, the right two lanes were closed, along with the Court Avenue and 6th Street on-ramps in Jeffersonville and the I-65 South to I-64 West ramp, plus a weekend closure of three lanes. Separately, in June crews installed solar-powered lighting at the I-64/I-71 interchange downtown to improve visibility and stop copper wire theft, which KYTC says has caused nearly $1.5 million in damage to highway lighting since 2020.

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On Aug. 2, the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) launched a redesigned network that cuts routes from 24 to 15 and bus stops from about 3,300 to about 1,400, while running buses more often on the busiest corridors (color-coded at 15, 30 and 60 minutes). Areas losing direct service include parts of the airport area, Middletown, Riverport, Outer Loop and Bardstown Road beyond Breckenridge. A new 11-bay downtown transfer hub at 8th Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard uses timed "pulse" transfers. Executive Director Ozzy Gibson said the changes bring expenses in line with revenue and fix a network with too many low-ridership routes. Fares were free for the first two weeks.

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Louisville Metro unveiled a paving plan of more than $30 million to tackle potholes. Public Works crews had patched more than 39,000 potholes so far in 2026, about a third of them after the snowy 2025–26 winter. Separately, KYTC's second phase of Bardstown Road improvements is studying whether to replace the five-way intersection at Dundee Road and Douglass Boulevard with a single-lane roundabout to improve traffic flow and shorten pedestrian crossings.

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The U.S. Coast Guard ordered the Milton-Madison Bridge, which carries U.S. 421 over the Ohio River between Milton, Ky., and Madison, Ind., closed in August after seven barges broke loose and drifted toward it. Five tugboats stopped the barges before they reached the bridge.

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear led a groundbreaking in early May beneath the Brent Spence Bridge for the new companion bridge to be built to its west, in a ceremony focused on the politics that made the project possible. Work on the Ohio side had already disrupted I-71/75 traffic in April. Starting in May, Covington began seeing longer-lasting closures, some of them permanent, including exit closures that will end the "Texas turnaround" that northern Kentucky drivers have long used.

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The Purple People Bridge, the pedestrian crossing between Newport and Cincinnati, reopened ahead of schedule in early June after closing in May for structural repairs. In September, a new study began looking at ways to get workers to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) more quickly. Early ideas include a new bridge, dedicated bus service and driverless vehicles.

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Lexington's second double crossover diamond interchange, at Leestown Road (U.S. 421) and New Circle Road, was set to open by 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, after a weekend closure of Leestown Road and New Circle Exit 7 for final paving (about 3,100 tons of asphalt), signals, lighting and markings. The $51 million interchange, part of the New Circle Road widening project, took nearly three years to build. Nearby residents expect shorter commutes, such as trips to Leestown Middle School from Masterson Station. Officials hope out-of-town visitors for the Keeneland Fall Meet, UK football and the Breeders' Cup can figure out the unfamiliar layout. Lexington's first double crossover diamond is at Harrodsburg Road and New Circle.

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After more than 50 crashes near the Jacobson Park entrance since 2022, three of them fatal, including the recent death of 41-year-old AJ Glasscock, the city and KYTC banned left turns on flashing yellow arrows from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Old Richmond Road and Athens-Boonesboro Road. Mayor Linda Gorton said a planned state widening project will move the park entrance opposite Ellerslie and add a signal. In August, a new traffic light went into operation on Versailles Road at the left turn onto New Circle Road's outer loop, reorganizing turn and through movements at the interchange.

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In April, KYTC closed the I-75 northbound on-ramp at Newtown Pike (Exit 115) overnight for sign work and closed the southbound Paris Pike exit (Exit 113) for several days to widen the ramp. Also in April, daytime left-lane closures on I-64 in Fayette and Scott counties allowed shoulder repairs ahead of a future resurfacing job. In late September, misplaced construction cones caused a "significant" backup on northbound I-75 at the Paris Pike exit, and Lexington police said some drivers drove through the work zone.

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Chinoe Road between Fontaine and Hart roads closed during the day Aug. 3–7 for sanitary sewer repairs, and Shillito Park Road closed in September for paving to create an entrance for the new Senior & Therapeutic Recreation Center. In July, a section of KY 1973 in northern Fayette County was dedicated as the "Dr. John Dallas Stempel Memorial Highway" in honor of the late director of UK's Patterson School of Diplomacy, under a resolution sponsored by state Rep. Vanessa Grossl.

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Madison County Fiscal Court approved a fall paving list covering about a dozen county roads across its four districts, paid from existing county funds (about $1.1 million at $120.55 per laid ton of asphalt). It also requested state Local Assistance Road Program (LARP) money for several more roads.

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The state's $4.6 billion 2026–2028 highway plan includes more than $58 million for Warren County. The largest item is $18.7 million to widen U.S. 31-W to five lanes between the Simpson County line and Buchanon Park. The plan also includes $2 million (FY2028) for an engineering study of a new I-65 interchange near Woodburn to close a 14-mile gap between exits, $11.7 million to extend Three Springs Road from Flea Land to I-165, and a two-lane roundabout at I-65 and KY 101 in Smiths Grove. Allen County gets more than $30 million for KY 100 safety rebuilds, including straightening curves and replacing a bridge at the Simpson line. Barren County gets more than $32 million, including a two-way left-turn lane on KY 1297/Donnelly Drive and replacement of the U.S. 31-E bridge over Water Street in Glasgow.

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Construction started in mid-July to widen KY 884 (Three Springs Road) in Bowling Green from McCoy Place to Fieldstone Boulevard to three lanes, with a center turn lane, a single-lane roundabout at Smallhouse Road, sidewalks on both sides, a new bridge over I-165, and a turn lane for Foundation Christian Academy. District 3 Engineer Joe Plunk said growth in the area "has simply outpaced the current transportation infrastructure." The existing I-165 bridge will stay open until traffic shifts to the new one.

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KYTC District 3's weekly summaries show a busy construction season across the 10-county region. The U.S. 31-W Bypass in northern Bowling Green (KY 234 to Park Street) is being widened to five lanes, with traffic narrowed to one lane each way until 2027. The I-165 Green River bridges in Butler County are being fully restored, with southbound traffic crossed over and a 55 mph limit through fall 2026. U.S. 68 is being realigned for 1.2 miles between KY 729 (Green County) and KY 745 (Metcalfe County) with a new bridge over Caney Fork Creek, and the U.S. 68/KY 70 intersection has been rebuilt slightly east of its old location. U.S. 79 is being widened from the Tennessee line to mile marker 3 and was closed overnight in Russellville for resurfacing. U.S. 231 (Main Street) in Butler County closed overnight for resurfacing, and lane closures began on I-165 near the I-65 interchange.

In Barren County, a nine-mile KY 90 safety corridor between Cave City and Glasgow is adding alternating passing lanes and turn lanes, and a U.S. 31-E Highway Safety Improvement Project (mile points 8–12) adds a four-foot centerline buffer to reduce head-on crashes, plus a turn lane at Windy Hills Road. Smaller items: a new 1.8-mile KY 185 alignment opened in northern Warren County (the old road became KY 3557), and lane assignments changed at KY 242 and U.S. 31-W to improve flow.

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Hart County hired Scotty's Contracting to resurface several county roads in late August and early September, with crews using the full road width. Bowling Green closed Fair Street between 10th and 11th avenues for about two weeks for a stormwater pipe tie-in. Phase one of Bowling Green's Riverfront Park on the Barren River, which includes a new public boat ramp and pedestrian plaza ($4.3 million), was aiming for completion around Labor Day. Edmonson County dedicated Old Kyrock Road and Kyrock Road to two local servicemen killed in the line of duty: Wand B. Doyle (USS Arizona, 1941) and Col. Ernest E. Lane Jr. (Vietnam, 1966).

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KY 107 closed at Lovers Lane in Christian County in August for utility relocation through October, part of a KYTC project to improve sight lines and add turn lanes. A second closure for road construction is planned from March to mid-September 2027. Hopkinsville also unveiled a concept-stage West Seventh Street Corridor Master Plan, about $4.28 million and not yet funded, for the stretch between North Drive and South Jessup Avenue. It proposes a "road diet" with narrower lanes to slow traffic that now runs 45–50 mph in a 35 zone, a new sidewalk behind the utility poles, landscaping, and either upgraded signals or a roundabout at Seventh and Ninth streets. KYTC District 2 recommended 11-foot lanes in places. The Christian County Sheriff's Office also hosted KYTC, Kentucky State Police and emergency agencies to coordinate on cutting crashes on I-24.

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As part of widening I-75 between Exit 25 (Whitley County) and Exit 29 (Laurel County), KYTC District 11 used rolling roadblocks on four nights in July to set beams for a new KY 312 overpass. The replacement bridge, built to make room for the wider interstate, reopened in mid-September. Nighttime I-75 lane closures in Whitley County continued into late September.

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U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers presented a $2 million Community Project Funding check for terminal renovations at London-Corbin Airport and announced more than $6.5 million from FEMA to repair facilities damaged by the May 16, 2025 EF-4 tornado, which caused about $12 million in damage. State Sen. Brandon Storm highlighted another $4 million in state money for the terminal and hangar. The renovated terminal will get a new interior layout, HVAC, windows and restrooms. Officials stressed the airport's role as a regional asset; it served as a hub for emergency operations after the storm.

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KYTC District 8 began building a $1.357 million restricted-crossing U-turn (RCUT) intersection at Slate Branch Road (KY 1642) and the KY 914 bypass in Somerset in April, with completion targeted for July 31. The intersection has had no signal since a crash knocked down the pole in May 2024. Pulaski County Judge-Executive Marshall Todd and magistrates pressed the state to reconsider, citing calls from residents and Fourth of July traffic. Somerset Mayor Alan Keck and Councilwoman Phyllis Lawson defended the design, citing about a 67% crash reduction at Kentucky RCUTs, and warned residents about altered graphics circulating on Facebook.

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The new KY 635 bridge in Science Hill, which will carry traffic over railroad tracks that have long caused problems for motorists, was expected to open by the end of July. Heavy rain in June and July pushed it back, and as of mid-September KYTC District 8 had not set a new completion date.

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In July, Pulaski County Fiscal Court accepted $366,000 in state Local Assistance Road Program money to repave eight county roads and $1.4 million from a Federal Lands grant to blacktop roads within the Daniel Boone National Forest. Later, KYTC project engineer Chris Henderlight told the court the county will get $1.7 million from the state Rural Secondary Road Plan for its 220-mile system, including about $398,000 in flexible funds. He recommended resurfacing about three miles each of KY 692 and KY 1676. KYTC also did two weeks of nighttime milling and paving on Monticello Street (KY 2292) and Langdon Street (KY 2298) in Somerset.

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State lawmakers and the paving industry warned in September that KYTC had awarded dramatically fewer road projects, especially repaving, in summer 2026 than in the previous two summers. Rep. Jason Petrie pointed to fast-growing Warren County and Sen. Steve Rawlings to Northern Kentucky as areas falling behind. Contractors said crews have been cut to four-day weeks and that the paving season was closing before winter. Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors director Chad LaRue said the cabinet appears to be holding back to protect its cash balance. Cabinet officials said the internal road fund dropped to $32.9 million on Aug. 19, well below the $100 million they like to keep, before recovering. A cabinet spokesperson had earlier blamed budget constraints set by the legislature.

Earlier, in July, the free-market Kentucky Forum for Rights, Economics and Education reported that KYTC awarded more than $1.3 billion in single-bid asphalt contracts from 2023 through 2025. Lexington-based L-M Asphalt Partners received more than $424 million of that, Scotty's Contracting $214 million in western Kentucky, and Mountain Enterprises $182 million in eastern Kentucky. The think tank called the pattern "tacit collusion," with companies not bidding across county lines. KYTC said it prioritizes competition, compares bids against internal estimates, and rejected 535 single-bid proposals between 2020 and 2025.

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KYTC and the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety ran the "Not So Fast, Kentucky" speed-enforcement and awareness campaign through July 31, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Officials said about a third of Kentucky's 2025 traffic deaths involved speeding or aggressive driving. KYTC has handed out more than 200 radar units to law enforcement over three years and began using automated speed enforcement in some active work zones in late 2025.

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On April 30, Gov. Beshear announced $3.1 million for seven rail projects through the Kentucky Industrial Access and Safety Improvement (KIASI) and Kentucky Short Line Infrastructure Preservation (KSLIP) programs. Awards included more than $900,000 for the Paducah & Louisville Railway to expand hot-box detector monitoring and $500,000 for Jared Donaldson Trucking in Hickory to restore a rail spur for truck-rail transloading. A later KIASI round awarded $1.8 million to five projects, including $460,000 for Bowling Green's Intermodal Transportation Authority to rehabilitate 6,100 feet of spur track and add flashing-light signals at the Commonwealth Boulevard crossing. Transportation Secretary Rebecca Goodman said the grants keep freight on rail and reduce wear on roads.

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